The Department of Biological Sciences (BSC)

The Department of Biological Sciences offers three majors that culminate in baccalaureate degrees. The three majors are biology, marine science double major, and microbiology. The department also offers minors in biology, microbiology, and marine science.

Biology Major (BS)

Degree requirements. Students earning the bachelor of science (BS) degree with a major in biology must complete all University, college (see pp. 52-53), and departmental degree requirements. These include the general education requirements, the following major requirements, and sufficient other credits to total a minimum of 120 applicable semester hours. The major offers three optional concentrations that are described under “Special opportunities,” which follows.

Admission into the major. Students are expected to declare a major formally no later than the fourth semester of full-time enrollment (or at 61 semester hours for transfer students). With the assistance of an advisor in the major department, students should complete the “Declaration of Major” form. The department recommends that students declare a biology major as soon as possible to ensure participation in major advising.

Grade point average. A 2.0 grade point average in the major is required for completion of the degree. The major GPA is calculated based on all courses applicable to the major that the student has attempted at UA.

Major courses. The major in biology requires the completion of the following 36 semester hours:

Additional major requirements. The department offers a number of courses designed to enrich the learning experience of students beyond the traditional classroom setting. These courses include BSC 391, BSC 393, BSC 396, BSC 398, BSC 399, BSC 403, BSC 404, BSC 407, and MS 398. Beyond specific restrictions listed for each course, a total of 4 hours from this group may be applied to the requirements of the biology major or minor. An additional 4 hours may be applied as electives to the requirement for 120 hours for the degree. BSC 409 and BSC 410 are not applicable to the major in biology. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all University, college, major, and minor requirements. However, each student must meet with an advisor in the major department for academic planning and to be cleared for registration each semester. College advisors are also available for additional assistance with minor, college, and University requirements.

Special opportunities. The Department of Biological Sciences offers a number of special opportunities for students, including an honors program, a scholars program, and a number of special areas of concentration.

Honors program. The Biological Sciences Honors Program is available to students majoring in either biology or microbiology after the completion of 16 hours of BSC courses with a GPA of 3.4 in BSC courses and overall. Admission into the program requires the approval of the Honors Program Committee and acceptance of the student by primary advisors and co-advisors. Requirements for the program include 4–8 hours of BSC 390 Honors Thesis Research; an acceptable honors thesis; attendance in BSC 407 Honors Seminar in Biological Sciences; completion of the advanced portion of the Graduate Record Examination; and maintenance of a 3.4 GPA in biological science courses and a 3.4 overall GPA. Additional details are available in the office of the Department of Biological Sciences.

Scholars program. The Department of Biological Sciences also participates in the University Scholars Program that allows highly motivated students to pursue closely integrated undergraduate and graduate programs that may lead to the simultaneous completion of requirements for both master’s and bachelor’s degrees. Students usually apply for admission prior to the junior or senior year. For more information about the University Scholars Program, visit online graduate.ua.edu or consult the University of Alabama graduate catalog.

Health professions concentration. Students pursuing a major in biology who are interested in a career in health professions such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy or veterinary medicine can choose a sequence of courses in the health professions concentration. The concentration also provides in-depth exposure to subject material found on the MCAT, DAT, and OAT. These students should choose the biology electives from the following courses: BSC 310, BSC 400, BSC 409, BSC 410, BSC 424, BSC 425, BSC 431, BSC 432, BSC 435, BSC 449, BSC 450, BSC 460, BSC 469, and BSC 494.